The good, the bad, and the ugly in diabetic diets

In this article we have focused on the evolving pattern of nutritional management of the person with diabetes. Before the advent of insulin in 1922, it was sufficient to identify a meal plan that would keep people alive until they could be rescued from mortality due to diabetic ketoacidosis (the major killer of the era) by pharmacologic means. Now, the life expectancy of people with diabetes is close to that of the general population and focus has turned to combating the new threats of macrovascular disease and kidney failure. Over recent years the susceptibility of NIDDM patients to macrovascular events has been established and the twofold increase in risk of a heart attack in diabetic men is outshadowed by the four- to fivefold risk in diabetic women and the 13- to 17-fold greater risk in diabetics under the age of 30 years compared with their nondiabetic counterparts. The mechanism behind the susceptibility to macrovascular disease has generated a veritable plethora of investigations focusing on the atherogenic profile of diabetic dyslipidemia. Hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and overtreatment of the diabetic with insulin have been claimed as contributors to the development of premature atherosclerosis. The hallmark of the diabetic dyslipidemia is the tendency to elevated VLDL triglyceride levels and the closely linked reduction in HDL cholesterol. Although there is some controversy on the relationship between triglyceride levels and the incidence of CAD, there is no doubt that HDL is an independent risk factor. It can now be safely said that elevated triglycerides are a risk factor in women and that in men elevated triglycerides constitute a risk factor if accompanied by a reduced HDL level. For these reasons, any approach to nutritional management of the diabetic must attempt not only to normalize glycemia but to make every effort to reduce the atherogenic profile. In the accompanying algorithm (Fig. 4), we consider the risk factors conducive to a reduction in life expectancy and offer a meal plan that is appropriate for the individual with diabetes. For the 80% of NIDDM patients who are obese, a diet with a reduction of 500 to 1000 kcal is in order and this may be achieved by a periodic VLCD. We examined carefully the controversy related to yo-yo dieting and support the notion that its effects in humans are not all that harmful. Ingestion of simple sugars in the high carbohydrate diet has negative effects both on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)